


Tia Pepa Knows Best

by Jujubee326



Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Family Feels, Fluff, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 04:41:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28664901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jujubee326/pseuds/Jujubee326
Summary: “Guess the saying really is true huh? After a while, couples really do become the same person.”In which Eddie gets a little push from his tia Pepa to finally go after what he wants.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Comments: 36
Kudos: 357





	Tia Pepa Knows Best

**Author's Note:**

> This idea came to me on New Year's with the release of the new 9-1-1 promo. I was semi-buzzed and I noticed how hot both Oliver and Ryan were looking. They were also almost identical to my alcohol infused mind. I posted two screen shots of both boys and from there, my mind came up with this little story! The next morning, I took this idea and ran with it. Hope everyone enjoys!!
> 
> Special thank you to my babe Claire who supported me throughout the entirety of this. Couldn't have done this without you ❤️
> 
> Also a big, big thank you to the wonderfully talented Ro for the cover art for this story of mine! It means so much to me!! ❤️

Growing up in a big Mexican family, Eddie had too many tios and tias, which made it impossible to keep up with them all. They were always coming and going, along with their many children making it somewhat overwhelming for Eddie. It was one of his tias, however, the fiery, outspoken, no nonsense Josephina, who insisted on being called Pepa, that Eddie felt the strongest connection to. She was funny and loud, with a certain sassiness to her.

Josephina Diaz lived in Los Angeles and Eddie was a bundle of excitement every time she would come to El Paso to visit her brother's family. He rarely got to see her, but when he did, she never failed to share stories and always took Eddie out for ice cream. She was the only tia that would actually ask Eddie about his likes and dislikes and encourage him to truly share his feelings. Eddie felt as though she was the only person who saw who he really was underneath that facade his father expected from him. He knew there was no judgement from Pepa and that she loved him unconditionally. And she would never hesitate to back down from letting anyone know that she had a soft spot for him.

When Eddie finally uprooted his life to Los Angeles for a new beginning, he was so thankful to Pepa who assured him of her readiness to assist in whichever way she could. She had been a tremendous support system for him, along with his Abuela. Along the way their bond grew stronger and she became someone who Eddie could always see in his corner.

All things considered, Eddie should’ve known that Pepa’s sharp tongue and blunt nature would turn his whole world upside down one fateful afternoon. 

* * *

It was a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon and the Diaz boys, along with their Buck, were en route to Abuela’s 80th birthday lunch held at Tia Pepa’s house. Buck, being an honorary Diaz himself, had made Abuela his infamous tres leches flan that never failed to put a big smile on Abuela’s face when she had a slice. As soon as they pulled up, Eddie noticed that most of his cousins were already present and Pepa was outside with her daughter Itzayary, greeting their guests.

The driveway was left vacant for Eddie to take the spot, making the distance more convenient for Christopher. All three boys vacated the car and made their way towards the house. 

“Where is my besito mi dulce nino?” she asks as Christopher makes his way towards her. That got a cute little giggle out of him as she bent down for him to give her a chaste kiss on the cheek.

“Hola Tia!” He laughs then makes his way over to Itzayary, who helps him get inside. As soon as Christopher is out of earshot, she turns her attention to the two boys standing in front of her and gives them both a good, long once over. Eddie notices his tia get that signature smirk that meant she was up to no good.

“Guess the saying really is true huh? After a while, couples really do become the same person.”

This causes both boys to freeze. Buck almost loses his grip on the flan but reacts in time. He chances a look towards Eddie, who is flustered from his neck up, looking at Pepa like he wants the ground to open up and swallow him whole. Just as Eddie glances over at his best friend to gauge his reaction, he hears his son’s voice coming from the house.

“Buck, Abuela is asking for the flan! Can you please bring it inside?”

The interruption snaps Buck out of this stupor and he flashes his patented Buckley smile at Pepa while quickly passing both Diaz’s to go inside, leaving Eddie to deal with his aunt alone.

“Pepa...Buck and I are just friends,” he states in an uncertain, unconvincing voice. “We’re just best friends.”

Pepa gives him an incredulous look, like he is speaking a foreign language. Rolling her eyes at her oblivious nephew, she responds, “Oh so you’ve upgraded from coworkers who dress alike to best friends who look identical from head to toe. Very well Edmundo, whatever you say.” She then proceeds to swiftly turn around and head inside, like she didn’t just turn her nephew’s world upside down.

Eddie stays frozen. What did Pepa mean “couples who became the same person?” He was Eddie and Buck was Buck. Plus they weren’t dating, no matter how badly Eddie wished they were. Buck didn’t see him as anything more than a friend, which yeah hurt a lot more than he would ever be willing to admit, but that’s for Eddie to wallow in at night.

As more people walked into the house greeting him, he stood there, on Pepa’s front porch having a life crisis brought on by his aunt’s words. He looks down at himself, studying his outfit. He had chosen a white t-shirt paired with his nice olive green button up because Buck had insisted he needed to look nice for his Abuela’s 80th birthday and “no Eddie you can’t wear a henley, you wear them all the time, put in some effort!” So he had dug up his nice button up, ironed it and threw on his dark wash jeans and called it a day. 

When Buck had come over earlier, he was too distracted by how wonderfully delicious Buck looked in his own olive green button up (that was a size too small) and the curve of his ass in those tight dark wash jeans that he hadn’t even realized they were wearing the same outfit.

He shakes his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts and realizes that at some point he needs to make his way inside. He walks in, still distracted with varying thoughts regarding Pepa’s words, greets his Abuela with a kiss and barely remembers to wish her a happy birthday. 

“Are you ok mijo?” he hears his Abuela ask. He smiles and nods, grabbing a beer and heading outside. He spots Buck immediately, sitting with Christopher on a family swing set. Christopher is deeply animated, most likely telling Buck about his field trip to the farm from Wednesday. Even though Buck seems to be nodding at the right times, his eyes show that he is caught in his thoughts. He takes that moment to really look at Buck and understand what Pepa was talking about.

Upon studying Buck, he realizes that not only are they completely matching, black combat boots and all, but that even their hairstyles have somehow morphed into the same style. In an offhanded comment, Buck had mentioned a few weeks ago that he missed Eddie’s longer hair. Eddie, for reasons he has tried not to put too much thought into, decided then and there that he was going to grow out his hair again.

With Buck pretty much living at the Diaz house, he had an extra jar of his hair pomade in Eddie’s bathroom. At the time he had questioned Buck, wondering why pomade and not gel, which got him a lecture on the fact that hair gel is bad for your hair and how a water-based pomade is easier to wash out, with the added benefit that it is gentler on the hair. One morning Eddie, in a hurry to get to work, realized his hair was too long to let it be and grabbed the pomade, slowly working it in his hair. What he didn’t know at the time was that he had used too much and had to comb it out. His hair wasn’t cooperating with him, leaving him to just comb it to the side and go to work.

Now that he’s looking at Buck, he realizes that he had absentmindedly adopted Buck’s usual hairstyle. No wonder he got so many amused looks that first day at work. Alright that was a mistake and that, under no grounds, calls for him and Buck to look identical. The outfit was a coincidence and the hair was a mistake so Pepa had no reason to assume they were together.

He takes another long sip of his beer and lets his eyes glaze over Buck’s broad shoulders stretching out in that olive green shirt. He felt his mouth going dry for how much he wanted to grab onto those shoulders as he..No. He is not going there. Now is definitely not the time for _that._

But he did admire how much muscle Buck had put on recently. After Buck’s parent’s disastrous visit last fall, he had been taking his frustration out in the gym. He had taken up boxing and Eddie, being the best friend he is, and most certainly not wanting to miss an opportunity at listening to Buck’s grunts in the gym, chose to accompany him. He supposes his own shirt is tighter on him than it was last year and realizes that maybe he had also put on some muscle.

If they were finally around the same body mass, then he could lift Buck up against the wall, bodies flush against each other and-

“Buck you’re funny. You haven't been paying attention have you?” came his son's giggles from across the yard.

He was quickly brought out of his own inappropriate thoughts as he chanced a look over to where his boys were sitting.

Buck looks to have been deep in his own thoughts. Eddie hadn’t realized the effect his aunt’s words would have had on his best friend. Maybe it’s bothering Buck in a way that is the complete opposite of how it is bothering Eddie. He knows that deep down, he wishes Pepa’s words were true. He wants to be with Buck, more than anything but judging by the look on the other man’s face, he may be the only one. 

He tries to get a hold of Buck’s eyes but Buck turns to Christopher, quickly apologizing to the little man for not paying attention. He then tickles him, making him erupt into a fit of giggles.

That warms Eddie up, knowing that there is another person who loves his son just as much as he does. When he really thinks about it, Buck has been his partner and co-parent for such a long time. He is the missing piece to their family and he just makes both Diaz boys feel so happy and loved. All Eddie wants is a family, someone who will never leave him and Chris. Buck is that person for them, he knows that with everything in him. If only, Buck could see that too.

“Why won’t you just tell him how you feel mijo? I may be old but I most definitely am not blind.”

There goes his tia again, sounding more sincere this time around. He looks away from his little family and meets kind eyes. He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding and takes another sip of his beer.

“He doesn’t feel the same way Pepa. Trust me on this ok? Let this go and stop making remarks like that. Look at him, it’s thrown him for a loop and he can’t even look at me because of how uncomfortable it’s made him. I can’t lose him ok? He is everything to us and I will be ok as long as he is in my life, however way it may be.”

Pepa looks at him, then looks over at Buck, who is trying so hard to sneak glances at Eddie as often as he can without getting caught. She laughs to herself whilst rolling her eyes at how dumb these two are being.

“Edmundo, look at me por favor. That boy over there? He is so deeply in love with you and your son ok? He’s a young man at his best friend’s Abuela’s birthday on a Saturday, hanging out with his best friend’s son. Now tell me, if he wasn’t in love with you, would he really choose to spend his free time here?”

“That’s just how he is though. He loves Abuela because she treats him like she’s his own grandmother and he can never say no to anyone, much less an elderly woman. He’s here for her honestly, not for me.”

Pepa huffs out her annoyance and grabs Eddie by his shoulders, wanting to shake the oblivion right out of him.

“Listen to me ok? I love you so much. You are my favorite nephew and we have always had such a strong bond, you and I. I want you to be happy and I see it is invested in that man over there. I also see his happiness invested in you and your son. Now please listen to me and go talk to him before it’s too late. I have never steered you in the wrong direction before have I?”

Eddie looks into her eyes and finds nothing but love and comfort. He slowly starts recalling all of their previous conversations since he was a little boy and a slow smile works its way across his face. His Tia Pepa was the first person in his family he had come out to at 15 years old and she had shown nothing but love and support for him. She has been a reassuring, strong presence in his life and has always said it like it is. Deep down, he knew that she was right in nudging him to take that scary step and talk with Buck.

He looks at her a moment longer and allows his smile to grow bigger, eyes crinkling with the warmth and adoration he feels for her. He steps closer, bringing her into an embrace, pouring out words he rarely says but he knows she understands regardless.

“I don’t know what I would ever do without you tia. Te amo mucho” he whispers in her ear. Leaning slightly away, he gives her a quick kiss on her cheek before stepping away fully.

His tia’s response is nothing short of a quick laugh while she whispers back, “Te amo sobrino. Go get your man!”

He laughs at her swatting his butt and puts down his beer to make his way towards his boys, who are now actively engaged in a tickle fight. He couldn’t hide the pure joy overtaking his features if he wanted too.

“Are you two having a tickle fight without me?” He says as he starts tickling his son. He finally meets Buck’s cerulean eyes and can read the love in them, mirroring his own.

“Daddyyy stoppp hahahaha. I..can’t...breathee. Buckyyy stoppp” comes Christopher’s breathless giggles. They share a knowing look and halt their relentless tickling, opting to help Christopher get back on his feet.

“Dad you’re supposed to be on my side! This was an unfair fight!” Chris huffs in annoyance, while he crosses his little arms across his chest.

“Damn, it’s like looking at a mirror huh Eds?” Buck whispers in his ear, trying very hard to contain his laughter at an upset Christopher.

Eddie can’t help the fond eye roll in response to his boys' tactics.

“I’m sorry mijo but I wanted to join in on all the fun you two were having without me. I was feeling a little left out.” He kneels down to Chris’ level and stage whispers, loud enough to ensure that Buck hears his words, “When we go home, I’ll help you attack Buck when he’s not expecting it! We’ll get him real good, sounds good?”

“Uh, hey now! I’m right here,” came Buck’s faux frustrated response.

A huge smile graces Christopher’s face as he turns to look at Eddie, then towards Buck. With a smirk eerily similar to Pepa’s he simply replies, “Oh it’s on! Be careful Buck, we’re gonna attack when you least expect it.”

Eddie glances over at Buck and sees him gulp, worry quickly painting over his beautiful features. Since Eddie is so in tune with all of Buck’s reactions, he knows that it is not in fact worry as much as it is Buck playing it up for Chris’ sake.

“Chris, buddy, c’mon. I’m sorry I thought we were best buddies! Please, please spare me this terror. You know how ticklish I am, I won’t survive both Diaz boys’ ruthless tickling,” he pleaded.

Christopher, bless his little heart, just lets out an evil little laugh and taps his shoulder. ”Sleep with one eye open, Bucky” he states proudly, as he makes his way towards his cousins, still laughing.

“Eddie, I think you’re raising a little monster. I’m actually terrified of a 10 year old. Did you see his little grimace? He is the carbon copy of you!”

That brings forth a blinding smile on Eddie’s face, the one he refers to as his special Buck smile. He honestly can’t believe that this is his life sometimes and all he has to do is just reach out and grab it, to prevent it from escaping him.

Eddie clears his throat, waiting for Buck’s sky blue eyes to meet his before he says what he has to. When those clear baby blues land on his own, he gives him a small smile and says, “More like, uh, we’re raising a little monster, don’t you think?”

He studies the different expressions dancing around Buck’s beautiful face; confusion, hope, a little bit of pride and finally love. 

“Yeah, um” he stops to clear his throat. “I suppose we are huh? We kinda have been for a while now.”

The intense gaze he gives Eddie at that very moment makes him go slightly weak in the knees with desire. They finally have reached their destination and all Eddie has to do now is reach out, take Buck’s hand, and take that final leap.

Slowly Eddie inches closer to his best friend and takes a hold of his hand, bringing him flush against him. Looking at Buck’s mesmerizing clear blue eyes, he cups his face with his other hand.

“Yes Buck, we have been. I guess even if we haven't noticed it until now, we have been a couple for a while now and thanks to my tia’s earlier remark, I think it’s time we officially lock it down.”

Leaving no room for any questions, he pulls Buck down those short 2 inches and takes his plump lips between his own. Eddie feels his entire body tingling as Buck brings his arm around his waist and pulls him in impossibly closer. Within seconds, Buck deepens the kiss, forcing his tongue past Eddie’s parting lips to explore Eddie’s mouth. With the kiss heating up quickly, Eddie realizes that these are the lips that he will kiss for the rest of his life. Buck is it for him and he intends to get the rest of their lives started as soon as possible.

He hears a slight moan escape Buck and he has to slightly bite down on his bottom lip to try and quiet him. With tremendous willpower, he steps back, remembering that they are in the middle of the backyard, surrounded by a bunch of family members.

He looks at Buck, who seems pleasantly flustered and blissed out. He catches those eyes again, alight with desire and love, and knows without further words that Buck is on the same page as he is.

“We really did that huh? That wasn’t some amazing dream was it?” Buck whispers, almost hesitantly.

“No mi amor, that was most definitely real” he chuckles in response. “I know we should talk some more, when we’re away from present company.” He turns to look at his family member’s trying so hard to pretend they were not eavesdropping. “But I need you to know something before our talk Buck.”

Buck looks like a deer caught in headlights. He realizes in that moment that Buck is bracing for a rejection of some sort and he has to be quick to shut that down.

“Buck, hey, Buck look at me please?”

Buck slowly brings his head up, locking his eyes with Eddie’s.

“There are my favorite baby blues. Buck, I love you, so much. I am so deeply gone on you that there will never be anyone else who can come remotely close to you. You are it for me and I will spend the rest of our lives showing you how much I love you, if you let me.”

Still unsure of Buck’s response, he leans in to place a chaste kiss to the corner of Buck’s mouth, to emphasize how important this moment is for him. The blinding smile he gets in return is worth it for how Buck leaps in and embraces Eddie in a warm, tight hug. 

“Oh Eddie, that is all I’ve ever wanted to hear from you. You know I never thought you’d, uh, want me like this. I was just fine helping raise Chris as your best friend, but if I can spend the rest of my life with you two as something more, then I am more than ready. I love you too Eddie, with everything in me. You and Chris are my everything and I will be here for our family, til the very end.”

Then, just because he can, he leans in and takes Eddie’s lips between his own and kisses him gentler than their previous kiss. Eddie can’t help but reciprocate and just as things are getting too much for a family setting, they hear someone clear their throat. They break away immediately and make eye contact with none other than Tia Pepa once more.

“Hate to break this platonic wedding vow moment but we’re all waiting for you boys so that we can eat. Andale!” she says with a smirk and walks away, leaving the boys spluttering in their places.

“Did she just-?”

“Ugh let’s go, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

Eddie takes Buck’s hand in his and leads them to the table, where everyone was indeed awaiting their arrival. He squeezes Buck’s hand three times, to let him know how he’s feeling at that very moment and smiles widely when he gets three squeezes in return. 

They both take their seats next to Christopher and merge into the many conversations going on around them. Buck helps Chris with his food and pokes his side again, causing the boy to snicker once more. Eddie takes a moment to look around the table, at all his cousins, his tia’s and tio’s, his Abuela, and smiles at how right it feels to be around them. Not an ounce of judgement or hatred coming from any of them. It’s only then that he releases the breath he didn’t realize he had been holding since his kiss with Buck.

As he is scanning the table, his eyes land on Pepa, who is smiling at him from across the table. She holds her glass up to him and winks his way, assuring him in their own silent language that she is proud of him. He holds his glass back up and smiles at her. He hopes the warm smile he sends her way encompasses how much love and gratitude he has for her. In case it doesn’t, he mouths a quick, “Gracias Tia, te amo” to which she quickly responds with her own, “Te amo tambien.”

He feels his man’s hand squeeze his own again and he looks over. Buck’s bright, sunshine smile is awaiting him and he raises an eyebrow in question. That’s when Buck leans in and whispers, “We really should get Pepa something nice. I had a feeling she’d be the one to get us together.”

Eddie can’t help the laugh that escapes him but he quickly quiets down for the many eyes that turn to look at him.

“Yeah, well that’s my Tia Pepa for you. She was always my favorite,” he proudly states.

“And I think you are hers babe.” Buck finishes, leaning in for another quick kiss to Eddie’s cheek.

**Author's Note:**

> I would love to hear everyone's thoughts on this cute story I came up with! Kudos and comments will make me happier than you can ever imagine! Once again, thank you so much for taking the time to read my work!! 
> 
> Come say hello on Tumblr @ loveyourownsmiilee ❤️
> 
> Here is the link that got the ball rolling on this!! Our boys lookin so good this season!
> 
> https://loveyourownsmiilee.tumblr.com/post/639084706545238016/18-days-til-our-boys-are-back-oliver-and-ryan


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